MAYURBHANJ: Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday blasted the State Government for “keeping innocent tribals in jails without verifying their credentials”.After interacting with the tribals and members of SHGs at Sanapal village under Maoist-hit Jashipur block in Mayurbhanj district, he said thousands of innocent tribals were now languishing in various jails in Odisha and the State Government should review the cases and initiate measures for their release.“Every tribal should live with dignity and self-esteem. The forest officials and police should also allow the tribals to do their jobs safely and freely. The Government should return lands to tribals and no forest case be lodged against them,” he said. Jairam asked the Government to properly implement the Gramin Vikash Yojana in the tribal-dominated areas of the State. Many areas in the State are affected by Maoist activities and people here are sandwiched between the police, the Government and the Maoists, the Union Minister said. “Every day there are incidents of Maoist attack. Like the elephant corridors, the Maoists have made their own corridor,” he said. Jairam also urged the local tribals to join hands with the Government to put an end to Maoist menace and make their villages ‘Maobadi Mukta’ areas. He said palli sabhas can play a pivotal role in rooting out Maoist problem and bring the latter into mainstream. Citing the example of the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, he said the tribals there have taken decision in gram sabhas to make their villages Maoist-free. “Every Maoist-affected village should take such a pledge. Without the help of locals, no government can handle the Maoists. If we can work together, we can win over them,” he opined. The Union Minister called upon the Maoist leaders to take part in the electoral process. Citing similar incidents in Assam, Punjab, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram, Ramesh said the Ulfa and ‘ugravadis’ took part in the electoral process and ruled their areas after they were elected. “In Odisha, the Maoists can also follow this path and join the mainstream,” he said. Expressing anguish over tardy progress of MGNREGA and PMGSY schemes, he said job card holders in the State are not getting their wages for six to seven months. “We are allotting funds in time but people here are not getting them. The State Government should look into the matter seriously,” he added.
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